


Reincarnated as the Villainess

by illiterate_idiot



Series: The Villainess' Routes [1]
Category: Original Work
Genre: Angst, Dead Dove: Do Not Eat, F/F, F/M, FL is the villainess, Harem, Love, Otome - Freeform, Otome Game, Reincarnation, Reverse Harem, Romance, Time Travel, Transmigration, a girl with a harem of five men and one woman, villainess - Freeform, villainess lead
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-11-02
Updated: 2021-01-11
Packaged: 2021-03-09 03:46:54
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Rape/Non-Con, Underage
Chapters: 2
Words: 4,953
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27344530
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/illiterate_idiot/pseuds/illiterate_idiot
Summary: When the female lead finds herself facing a speeding truck, she doesn't die, but instead wakes up in the body of a previously comatose toddler. Not any toddler, but as Lily, as the princess of Aestheria. The same kingdom that was in the story she was in the middle of reading just before she got killed in her previous life. The previous Princess Lily was known for being cruel and a bully all throughout the six years of her life. And now, she needs to find out a way to survive and avoid all conflict as much as she can if she wants to live to a ripe old age. But what can you do when you seem to be a magnet for drama?Double posting on Wattpad under the same name.
Series: The Villainess' Routes [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1996819
Comments: 3
Kudos: 15





	1. Chapter 1

The girl slid on her sneakers as she opened the door to her one bedroom apartment studio. Her keys jangled in her hand as she fumbled to lock the door. She was late, she didn't have time for this! It was the morning of her very first day as the manager at the job she's been slaving at for nearly a decade, ever since she'd graduated high school. She finally got a raise after all of her hard work and boot-licking, so why did the electricity decide to go off this night of all nights! It was only an hour long, but it reset her alarm!

Finally spotting the keys to lock her apartment, she hurriedly locked the door before darting to the elevator, flinging the keys into the purse slung over her shoulder. She was casually dressed, in the first clothes she could find that looked somewhat formal. The colors didn't really go together, but she didn't exactly have enough time to coordinate her outfit.

She pushed the down button once, twice, and thrice, before she gave up on trying to get the darn elevator to get here faster. Fussing with her hair in the reflection of the elevator doors, she grabbed the extra brush she kept in case of emergencies and brushed it out as much as she could to make it look semi-presentable.

The elevator arrived, and she was almost getting over waking up half an hour before work started before her stomach let out a pang of pain. ' _I didn't even have anything to eat!'_ She realized with a groan. She usually had at least a slice of toast to sate her hunger in the mornings. She should've grabbed a slice on her way out, but perhaps that would've been too cliché.

Arriving at the ground floor, she pushed past the people who were crowded at the elevator trying to get in, and started to run to the bus stop a block down. It usually only took 20 minutes via the bus to get to work, but she already spent 10 minutes getting ready, and who knows what other complications would get in the way.

She could see the bus stop now, and thank the heavens, the bus was there. She still had to cross a light to get to it though, and it was currently on red for pedestrians. Then, her worst nightmare happened. She saw the bus that was going on her route just about to pull away.

'No. I can't be late!' Disregarding the traffic laws, she started to run in the middle of the street while waving like a maniac. "Hey mister bus driver! Hey! Please wait! Mister-" Her words were cut off as she realized a truck was speeding towards her, and it was too late to get out of the way. 

Well, this was it. At age 28, the girl died alone. Without a family, without a spouse, she died alone. She never got to say goodbye to the cute secretary at the office, she never finished that book she was halfway through, and she never got to pay off her student loan debt. Admittedly, the last part wasn't going to be something she was going to cry over.

Did she do anything worthwhile? Was she content with how it ended? Was there anything she would've done different, and things that she regretted?

A million thoughts ran through her head, but strangely, she felt calm.

At least I wouldn't be leaving behind any family.

She sighed, and accepted her fate.

Closing her eyes in bracing for impact, she found that it never came.

She carefully opened her eyes, and instead of a truck, she found herself in a lavishly decorated room in shades of red and gold, laying on the softest mattress she's ever had the pleasure of being on.

' _Is this a dream?'_ She wondered, looking at the fanciful, thick drapes that hung over the bead in a decorative manner. Maybe some rich person saw what happened and had her brought here to die. But strangely, she noticed, nothing hurt. Sitting up, she also found she was rather... short. Everything seemed to be slightly larger than she would expect them to be.

"Maybe I'm hallucinating..." she mumbled.

"Princess Lily?" A voice mumbled, half asleep. "You're awake??" The lady the voice belonged to came to her full senses, and stood up from where she was resting her head beside the bed.

Her attire was that of a Victorian maid's, rather plain in black and white, with an average face and honey colored hair wrapped tightly in a bun. Her face looked rather pale as she stumbled onto her feet.

' _Princess Lily?'_ Smiling hesitantly, Anna shook her head at the strangely dressed woman "I think you've got the wrong person. I'm not Princess Lily."

The maid paled even more as she stuttered out "I have to get the physician, your highness." Hurriedly curtsying, she rushed out of the room.

Spotting the bathroom, she suddenly had the urgent need to go. Throwing the thick duvet off with much effort, she crawled to the edge of the king sized bed and lowered herself down to the floor. The bathroom looked a bit rustic, and once again, strangely large, but all the appliances were in working condition.

With her bladder emptied, she grabbed a stool to access the sink easier, when she found herself staring in a mirror at a face she did not recognize. The reflection showed an exceedingly pretty little girl, with golden glowing eyes and pale pink hair. She was absolutely stunning, even though she was only six. Without a doubt, she was going to be a goddess when she grew up. Princess Lily... why does that sound so familiar...

More importantly, how did she get here? Why was she in a child's body? Well, that explains why everything's so big. She promptly fell to the ground, and while her consciousness faded, she distantly heard a voice calling out her name.

-

  
[Reference image for what Lily looks like]

* * *

Lily woke up in a jolt to a strange scent, to her extravagantly decorated room once again, solidifying the fact that this world wasn't a dream. She rubbed her brow in frustration, a pounding headache furthering her discomfort.

"Princess Lily, you've awaken once more." The smooth voice belonged to a handsome young man in his late twenties with long silvery hair that reached the middle of his back, tied in a loose ponytail behind him. His features were long, with high cheekbones and cold, slanted eyes. He gave off a very nonsensical air, and was holding a bottle that had a very pungent aroma to it. It seemed to be what woke her up.

Despite her lack of response, he continued, "Please do not attempt any stunts like that in the future, you're old enough to know better. You're the princess of this nation, and its time for you to behave like it." The last part was muttered quietly, but he meant for her to hear it nonetheless. It seemed he held distaste for her- or rather, the body she inhabited.

Her head jolted again in pain, and she found that she held all the memories the body had been through up till when she woke up. Perhaps the pain was a result of the memories coming in all at once.

Lily, the original one, was extremely vain, rude, arrogant, and cruel. Her personality was developed due to a lack of parental guidance, servants who satisfied her every whim, and nobles who praised her for everything she did in attempt to raise their own statuses. She never saw her father aside from during formal occasions like the King's birthday, or the annual Founding Feast of the country. He never bothered to attend Lily's birthdays nor did he give her any gifts. He was incredibly detached from his child.

The body's memories also told her that the man in front of her was the court physician, Pearce. As he was a commoner who rose to his station, he didn't have a last name. He became a very cynical and bitter man after his wife died in childbirth. Despite all his best efforts and skill, he couldn't save the love of his life. His son, Thomas, was the only child he had, and thus, Pearce was very protective of him. The boy was a year older than she was, and was studying in his father's footsteps.

Thomas was exceedingly similar to his father, with the same silvery hair, piercing eyes, studious nature, and a very analytical nature about him. From what Lily could remember, he wasn't very fond of the spoiled princess.

Their first interaction was when they were three, and he was four, when Lily fell down and scraped her knees when she was trying to chase after Thomas, who'd taken the last cookie from the kitchens.

She remembered calling her guards and blaming her injury on the boy, which led to him being punished with twenty lashes and a night in the dungeon. She didn't know who Thomas was, nor that it was his father who treated her wounds. The King, was in a neighboring country on official business, and without his permission, Pearce wasn't allowed to visit the dungeons or plead his son's case, so he spent the night awake, worrying. He hurried to his son once the first rays broke out over the horizon, and found him in a bloody mess on the floor.

Twenty lashes for a four year old was damaging, and due to the fact he wasn't treated early enough, Thomas had to spend three months in bed to recover. Thankfully, without any lasting injuries aside from the scars on his back.

_How do I know all of this?_ She wondered, _If I only received the body's memories, I wouldn't have known about Pearce's thoughts. And why does this all sound so familiar?_ She winced as another pang of pain rang through her head.

Noticing her discomfort with a furrowed brow, Pearce rummaged through his physician's bag and grabbed a bottle of a swamp green liquid.

He placed the bottle on the bedside table. "Take this after you have something to eat, and it will alleviate the headache. Aside from that, I've done a full diagnostic, and you just need rest. You'll be fine by tomorrow morning."

Packing his tools back into his bag full of a strange array of surgical supplies and bottles of all colors, he stood up, and with a curt farewell, he left her alone in her room.

She felt horrible about what happened to him and his son, it must've been incredibly difficult to deal with Lily.

Lily. Lily Beaumont. Why was that name so familiar? How did she know all this backstory?

Oh. **Oh!**

**Doki Doki Aestheria High**! The otome game where the heroine goes to high school in the human Kingdom of Aestheria with the male love interests. She'd almost forgotten about it.

That's why she knew all this information, she must've subconsciously been filling the gaps in the original body's memories. The otome game was one she'd picked up in her teens, back when the world was out to get her. Otome games were what filled that need for human interaction and desire.

2D characters were so much easier to understand and get along with, and they all wanted to get along with you too.

But as time went on and she left the toxicity of high school, she managed to find a profession she truly excelled at, but that was taken from her.

Now, she was in a fantasy love story. A story where she, Lily Beaumont, was the villainess. It was too much to handle. Time to go back to sleep.


	2. Chapter 2

When Lily woke up again, it was dark, and she could see the moon from her window. She felt her stomach growl in protest at being starved. It must've been a while since she last had something to eat.

Getting out of bed, she made her way to the door and slowly bent the handle. Thankfully, it was well oiled, and opened without a sound of protest. She peeked her head out of the door, and seeing nobody, she snuck out into the hallway lit by magic orbs.

Normally, there would be guards outside her door, but right now was time for them to patrol and change shifts. She needed some exercise anyways.

The kitchen... where was that again? It was past the dining room at least, that much she knew.

Her bare feet rang loudly against marble in the quiet of the palace, as she wondered about her situation.

Lily Beaumont was the villainess in this story, but she was certainly not idiotic enough to live the way she did before and put her life on the line. If she would just be nice, she could probably be able to able to survive. She's six years old right now, so she's only met one male lead so far, and that's Thomas. On her seventh birthday, she'll meet another lead, and then the rest at her debutante, when she turns 10.

Assuming this was like a game, she'd have to reach "the end", and romance one of the capture targets. Either that or avoid them, because of how horribly she could die if she didn't do things right. But try as she might, though she knew the deaths of the villainess were unusually horrible, she couldn't recall exactly how they went. All she knew was that they were different for every male lead.

She stopped in the middle of the hallway suddenly. Did she even want to go back? What did she have waiting for me back on Earth? At least here, she was rich. If she survives, she could live an easy life. Maybe do some light digging, but only for a last resort.

Nodding in determination, she decided. She just needed to set up a sustainable future for herself. If the storyline goes as planned, the heroine is going to be the one who ends up as Queen, regardless of which male lead she chooses. All Lily needs to do is distance herself from that. In order to make money, she could start up some businesses like the ones in her past life, being modern inventions to this world. Though, there was the issue of her gender and social status. Maybe if she set up an anonymous account?

She knows the future, so all she would have to do is use the knowledge to her advantage.

Her change of personality can probably be explained due to her near death experience.

Lily Beaumont will survive.

Not even noticing it, Lily had already arrived at the kitchens. Looking around, food should be... there! In the top shelf of that cupboard. From what she could remember, that shelf was where the biscuits for tea time were stored. But with the shelf looming over her tiny stature, she wondered if it would even be possible to reach.

What a pain it was to be short. Sighing in annoyance,she spotted a barstool and with great effort, dragged it to the cupboard and climbed on top of it.

The shelf was just in her reach. Stretching out, she almost could reach it, just a few inches... before the chair slid out from under her and she fell onto the ground.

Wincing in pain, she realized her palms and knees were scraped, but that was the extent of her injuries. Spotting the sink in the corner, Lily carefully stood up and rinsed off her wounds. She'll be fine in a few days.

Steeling her resolve once her stomach growled again, she went back to the barstool and dragged it back to the cupboard.

But she needed a way to secure it so she didn't fall again... a lightbulb went off, and she dragged bags of flour to secure the base. All this strenuous exercise was almost too much for this body to handle... but hunger was an even worse pain.

Making her way on top of the barstool again, Lily once again, reached out. The stool slid a little, but she was almost there... and pull! The door swung open.

A gold mine of biscuits stood in front of her, and she grinned in delight. She grabbed a jar and shoved her mouth full with two of the treats.

Though the taste wasn't amazing by any means, Lilywas in heaven with the feeling of food her stomach. She sat down on the barstool and hugged the jar close to her body.

Her hunger overcame her, and she practically unhinged her jar to inhale the biscuits. Oh how wonderful it was to be not starving.

\---------

**Thomas' POV**

The brat had gotten herself into yet another mess, he thought, scowling inwardly. Thomas was walking in the shadows of the passageways. It was way past his bedtime, but he was hungry.

She was throwing a tantrum a few days ago because her dear fiancé James Grey was refusing to come visit her. She was threatening her own life to her servants, standing on the edge of her balcony before she accidentally slipped and fell.

It was a miracle she survived, really. The brat's room was only two stories up, but she was only a small child. The injury knocked her out into a coma and brought her to death's door. Her pulse had even stilled at one point.

Thankfully, his father was a skilled healer and managed to save her in time. If he didn't, their lives might have been on the line for not being able to save the stupid princess.

Even though his father used close to the king when they were younger, they lost that friendship when his father went and confronted the king about being to lenient to the princess after Thomas had gotten bedridden due to injuries inflicted from her punishment.

It was a brutal argument, and it was honestly a miracle that his father had come out with his job intact.

Regardless, it was all in the past. What's important now was food. He hadn't had dinner, since as a librarian in training, he had quite a list of duties to fulfill. He didn't mind. He was always the happiest when surrounded by books.

He reached the kitchens and hugged the shadows as he walked in, out of habit, and then found himself face to face with the sitting idiot princess who had an almost empty cookie jar on her lap, staring at him with a look like she got caught with her hand in the cookie jar.

He felt a shiver go down his spine as he felt a sense of deja vu. Just a few years ago, they were in the same predicament, but the cookie jar was with him.

Seeing the look of realization on her face, Thomas felt a burst of rage inside as he figured she had come to the same conclusion about the familiar setting. Keeping his face blank, he greeted her formally before turning to exit the kitchen. He didn't feel hungry anymore.

Before he could leave she called out, "Wait, Thomas." Darting her eyes nervously at him and holding out the cookie jar, she asked, "Do you want the last one?"

Without thinking, he reached out and smashed the jar to the floor. The glass shattered and scraped the brat's knees as well as his shin. The pain gave him a jolt and made him step back in surprise, but the brat didn't so much as wince.

What a shame. It could've been almost worth the impending lashes if he could see her in pain as well.

Regaining his composure and his act, he knelt down to pick up the pieces. "Pardon me, princess. My hand slipped."

To his utter chagrin, she replied, "Don't worry about it," and bent down and reached out to pick up the pieces as well.

He slapped her hands away before she could touch the glass. "You'll get your hands cut up, princess."

Twisting her hands together anxiously in a way very unlike her, she asked something even more ridiculous. "Is there anything I can do to help?"

He nearly snorted in disbelief. "No," he replied bluntly. He picked up all the visible glass pieces as well as the cookie, and threw it all into the trash. He grabbed a broom as well and made quick work of the floor, all done while the princess stood in the corner, looking antsy.

"I'm sorry, Thomas." He froze mid-sweep. Sorry. Sorry?

"I'm sorry for how I've been treating you. If there's anything I can do to fix what I've done-"

"Shut up." He flashed his angry eyes towards her and grabbed her wrist and crushed it. "You don't get to apologize to me." He hissed. What was he doing? He couldn't stop the words that flooded from him. "Not after the pain and shit you've caused me. Do you think it ended with your punishment? I am the punching bag of this entire fucking palace. You set the target on my back and dealt the first blow, and people have been treating me like shit ever since." The brat's face flashed with sadness and pity. He grabbed her wrist tighter, but seeing her wince wasn't as satisfying as he thought it would be.

Why was he acting like this? He never talked back. He has long since learned to take it silently. No matter what they did, he wouldn't say a word. Not to his father, not to anyone. All could be hidden with a few illusion spells. He could pretend in front of everyone else, so why not her? His hand shook as he dropped the brat's wrist.

A second passed before the brat softly spoke, "An apology is nowhere near enough, I realize that. I'm just really trying to change. Though I don't deserve it, I hope you'll give me a chance." With that, she jumped off the stool she was sitting on and left the room, leaving him reeling with her offer and his bitter tears.

\---------

Lily woke up from her nightmare, sweating heavily and panting. Shiverring, she wrapped her blanket around her. In the nightmare, she was being sentenced to death.

_"Lily Beaumont, for the treason of attempting to kill the future Empress, you are now sentenced to death by fire."_

_The heroine and the male leads stood in front of her on a raised platform. Judging her of her crimes._

_She was tied up on a wooden pyre, with cuts and bruises littering her skin, and her hair haphazardly cut off. The common people around her were jeering and booing at her, throwing bricks, stones, and rotten food. They cursed her name and spat at her._

_All Lily could do was stay silent. Her eyes were glazed and her body slack. She was just a spectator in the body, trapped and unable to move or scream out that it wasn't her._

_They struck a match, and within seconds, the fire engulfed her. Usually, when a person is sentenced to death by fire, they are knocked out by the smoke first, which is relatively less painful than being burned alive. She didn't get that mercy. She felt every scorch of flame lick at her skin, even past the point where she should've died._

_The reason for the unusualness of her death was of course, one of the male leads. More specifically, the mage, Thomas Pearce. He was the one who sentenced her to her fate. His fire was magical, so it burned hotter and faster than a normal one would. He was also keeping her alive. Not out of goodwill, but to make sure she was alive to suffer as much pain as he could inflict on her._

It all felt so real. She could feel the pain of the fire. But, running her hands over her arms, there was no melting flesh to match the pain she felt.

She buried her head back into her pillow and sobbed quietly. Why did it have to be her? Why did she have to be stuck with the villainess? She didn't want to die. She really didn't.

A wave of drowsiness suddenly settled over her once again, as she cried herself to sleep.

\---------

After she woke up from her nightmare, Lily managed to get a few hours of dreamless sleep in. It was morning, and it was far too early for the body she was in. In her old world, she always woke up early, even during weekends and vacations. It was a habit she couldn't break. But she certainly felt very sluggish in her new body.

She also ended up with puffy eyes as a result of her crying. Well, there was nothing to be done about that.

Despite her breakdown last night, her resolve was once again set. She has to survive. The only problem was figuring out where to start.

Her footsteps found her heading to the Library.

Her maids had gotten her dressed up after a moment of surprise at being summoned so early. All of her outfits were dreadfully frilly and childish, which made sense seeing she was in the body of a six years old child, but she couldn't stand the look of them.

The outfit she was wearing was the plainest she had, which wasn't saying much. The dress itself was light pink, with layers of white lace on the edges of the fabric, as well as her waist. They itched her neck and arms dreadfully.

Fiddling with the sleeve on her arm, she got lost in thought once again on her way to the Library.

The nightmare she had was Thomas' good end in the game. And until after she had the nightmare, she didn't realize how much her life was on the line. If she did anything wrong, she would die just like the villainess did. She didn't want to begin to imagine the deaths she'd face at the hands of the other male leads.

Her thoughts sent shivers up her spine. She was so lost in thought, that she didn't even notice the towering figure in front of her, until she walked headfirst into him and fell promptly onto her backside.

She winced at the sting, though it was nothing compared to what she'd felt in her dream. Looking up, she found herself staring into her own eyes.

Well, not her own. More rightly, her father's.

Lily had never seen her father. His grief over losing his wife had been tremendous, and had only festered over the years. Lily looked much like her, aside from her eye color. The late Queen died in childbirth, and with not even a second glance, he sent Lily away to a far wing in the castle, where he would never have to see her. Though he didn't visit her, he granted all her whims and wishes so she'd never want for anything.

The maids and guards were given strict instructions to keep her away from him at all times, but seeing as they met now, they must've slacked in their duties.

She stared at him with a slackened jaw. Nobody ever mentioned he was stunning?? He looked like a chiseled Greek statue of the gods, if the gods were a million times more toned and mysteriously brooding.

Blinking away her thoughts, she heaved herself up and gave a curtsy. "Greetings, my King. Your daughter, Lily Beaumont, greets you." The etiquette she was supposed to show flooded her mind, and so her form and tone were perfectly executed. Lily's tutors were a hard bunch who'd drilled it into her even at a younger age than she was now.

In the game, it was mentioned that the King first met his daughter during her debutante, and didn't even give her a greeting. Her relationship with her father was probably what led her to be such a cruel person.

With the King's restless and nervous gaze, she figured he'd ignore her this time as well. What kind of shitty father ignores their own child for their entire life? Abusive piece of shit. Before he could get the chance to reply to her greeting, she coldly added, "How wonderful it is to finally meet you."

He had the audacity to look hurt. He had the utter audacity to still look stunning while doing so.

He opened his mouth as if to say something a few times before Lily grew sick of it. "I'll be leaving now, my King. Please excuse me." She said bitterly with a quick curtsy, before hurrying her pace past him and almost running to the library.

She barely closed the door to the royal library behind her before she found angry-hurt tears on her face. She refused to break down and sob, so she wiped her eyes with her sleeve. It was probably Lily's body that was crying at the unfairness of it all. Lily Beaumont in the past adored her father, even though she could never see him. She always assumed he had a reason, and she would always hear wonderful stories about how great he was.

At her debutante, her heart was broken. It seemed her father couldn't care less about her. She became crueler after that. Anyone would.

Looking around at the room for a distraction, her breath was taken away by the sheer grandiose of the library. Shelves upon shelves stood tall, with three floors of books stretching as far as the eye could see. It was a treasure trove.

With a puffy eyed grin and a sense of relief at her find, she got to work.


End file.
